Association Between Preoperative Sleep Disturbance and Postoperative Delirium in Elderly: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Purpose: Postoperative sleep disturbance, characterized by diminished postoperative sleep quality, is a risk factor for postoperative delirium (POD); however, the association between pre-existing sleep disturbance and POD remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the association between preoperative sleep disturbance and POD in elderly patients after non-cardiac surgery. Patients and methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted at a single center and enrolled 489 elderly patients who underwent surgery between May 1, 2020, and March 31, 2021. Patients were divided into the sleep disorder (SD) and non-sleep disorder (NSD) groups according to the occurrence of one or more symptoms of insomnia within one month or sleep- Numerical Rating Scale (NRS)≥6 before surgery. The primary outcome was the incidence of POD. Propensity score matching analysis was performed between the two groups. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the risk factors for POD. Results: In both the unmatched cohort (16.0% vs 6.7%, P=0.003) and the matched cohort (17.0% vs 6.2%, P=0.023), the incidence of POD was higher in the SD group than in the NSD group. In addition, the postoperative sleep quality and the VAS score at postoperative 24 h were significantly lower in the SD group than in the NSD group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that age (Odds Ratio, 1.13 [95% CI: 1.04-1.23], P=0.003) and preoperative sleep disturbance (Odds Ratio, 3.03 [95% CI: 1.09-9.52], P=0.034) were independent risk factors for the development of POD. Conclusion: The incidence of POD was higher in patients with pre-existing sleep disturbance than those without it. Whether improving sleep quality for preoperative sleep disturbance may help prevent POD remains to be determined.

Peptide Supramolecular Self-Assembly: Regulatory Mechanism, Functional Properties, and Its Application in Foods.

Peptide self-assembly, due to its diverse supramolecular nanostructures, excellent biocompatibility, and bright application prospects, has received wide interest from researchers in the fields of biomedicine and green life technology and the food industry. Driven by thermodynamics and regulated by dynamics, peptides spontaneously assemble into supramolecular structures with different functional properties. According to the functional properties derived from peptide self-assembly, applications and development directions in foods can be found and explored. Therefore, in this review, the regulatory mechanism is elucidated from the perspective of self-assembly thermodynamics and dynamics, and the functional properties and application progress of peptide self-assembly in foods are summarized, with a view to more adaptive application scenarios of peptide self-assembly in the food industry.

ZnSe/SnSe Heterostructure Incorporated with Selenium/Nitrogen Co-Doped Carbon Nanofiber Skeleton for Sodium-Ion Batteries.

Effective strategies toward building exquisite nanostructures with enhanced structural integrity and improved reaction kinetics will carry forward the practical application of alloy-based materials as anodes in batteries. Herein, a free-standing 3D carbon nanofiber (CNF) skeleton incorporated with heterostructured binary metal selenides (ZnSe/SnSe) nanoboxes is developed for Na-ion storage anodes, which can facilitate Na+ ion migration, improve structure integrity, and enhance the electrochemical reaction kinetics. During the carbonization and selenization process, selenium/nitrogen (Se/N) is co-doped into the 3D CNF skeleton, which can improve the conductivity and wettability of the CNF matrices. More importantly, the ZnSe/SnSe heterostructures and the Se/N co-doping CNFs can have a synergistic interfacial coupling effect and built-in electric field in the heterogeneous interfaces of ZnSe/SnSe hetero-boundaries as well as the interfaces between the CNF matrix and the selenide heterostructures, which can enable fast ion/electron transport and accelerate surface/internal reaction kinetics for Na-ion storage. The ZnSe/SnSe@Se,N-CNFs exhibit superior Na-ion storage performance than the comparative ZnSe/SnSe, ZnSe and SnSe powders, which deliver an excellent rate performance (882.0, 773.6, 695.7, 634.2, and 559.0 mAh g-1 at current rates of 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, 1, and 2 A g-1) and long-life cycling stability of 587.5 mAh g-1 for 3500 cycles at 2 A g-1.

CEACAM1 as a molecular target in oral cancer.

OBJECTIVE: The majority of oral cancer is caused by malignant transformation of squamous cells in surface of the oral mucosa. However, the relationship between CEACAM1 and oral cancer is unclear. METHODS: GSE23558 and GSE25099 profiles were downloaded from gene expression omnibus (GEO). Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was performed. Construction and analysis of protein-protein interaction (PPI) Network. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Gene and Genome (KEGG), gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), gene expression heatmap, immune infiltration analysis, comparative toxicogenomics database (CTD) were performed. TargetScan screened miRNAs that regulated central DEGs. Western blotting (WB) experiment was performed. RESULTS: 1269 DEGs were identified. According to GO analysis, they were mainly enriched in same protein binding, signal receptor binding, cell surface, epithelial cell development. KEGG analysis showed that they were mainly enriched in cancer pathways, PI3K Akt signaling pathway, TNF signaling pathway, NF kappa B signaling pathway, TGF beta signaling pathway. PPI network showed that 11 genes (CDCA8, CCNA2, MELK, KIF2C, CDC45, HMMR, TPX2, CENPF, CDK1, CEP55, CEACAM1) were obtained. Gene expression heatmap showed that CEP55 and MELK were highly expressed in oral cancer samples. CEACAM1 was lowly expressed in oral cancer samples. CEACAM1, CEP55 and MELK were involved in tumor, inflammation, necrosis, and proliferation. Western blotting (WB) showed that CEACAM1 in oral cancer samples was lower than that in normal samples, after CEACAM1 knockdown, it was lower than that in oral cancer samples. CONCLUSION: CEACAM1 is lowly expressed in oral cancer, the lower CEACAM1, the worse prognosis.

Correlation and influencing factors of preoperative anxiety, postoperative pain, and delirium in elderly patients undergoing gastrointestinal cancer surgery.

BACKGROUND: The correlation and influencing factors of preoperative anxiety, postoperative pain, and delirium in elderly patients undergoing gastrointestinal cancer surgery were explored with the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) scale, 10-point Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), and Confusion Assessment Method Chinese Reversion (CAM-CR) scale. METHODS: A total of 120 patients aged 65 years old who receiving gastrointestinal cancer surgery were enrolled in the study. Perioperative anxiety, pain, and delirium were assessed by the BAI scale, VAS scale, and CAM-CR scale, respectively. The correlation and influencing factors of preoperative high anxiety, postoperative high pain, and postoperative delirium were analyzed. RESULTS: Preoperative high anxiety had a moderate positive correlation with postoperative high pain (P < 0.001, r = 0.410), and had a weak positive correlation with postoperative delirium (P = 0.005, r = 0.281). postoperative high pain had a weak positive correlation with postoperative delirium (P = 0.017, r = 0.236). Type of cancer and surgical approach were considered to be independent risk factors of preoperative high anxiety (P = 0.006 and P = 0.021). Preoperative high anxiety was considered to be an independent risk factor of postoperative high pain (P< 0.001). Age and preoperative high anxiety were considered to be independent risk factors of postoperative delirium (P< 0.001 and P = 0.010). CONCLUSIONS: Elderly patients undergoing gastrointestinal cancer surgery had a higher incidence of preoperative anxiety, as well as first-day postoperative pain and first-day postoperative delirium. Factors such as type of cancer, surgical approach and preoperative anxiety had been identified as influencing preoperative anxiety levels; preoperative anxiety had been linked to postoperative pain; and age and preoperative anxiety have been identified as influencing factors of postoperative delirium. TRIAL REGISTRATION: hiCTR2000032008, 17/04/2020, Title: "Effects of different analgesic methods on postoperative recovery of elderly patients with digestive tract tumor". Website: https://www.chictr.ogr.cn .

MOF-Like 3D Graphene-Based Catalytic Membrane Fabricated by One-Step Laser Scribing for Robust Water Purification and Green Energy Production.

Increasing both clean water and green energy demands for survival and development are the grand challenges of our age. Here, we successfully fabricate a novel multifunctional 3D graphene-based catalytic membrane (3D-GCM) with active metal nanoparticles (AMNs) loading for simultaneously obtaining the water purification and clean energy generation, via a "green" one-step laser scribing technology. The as-prepared 3D-GCM shows high porosity and uniform distribution with AMNs, which exhibits high permeated fluxes (over 100 L m-2 h-1) and versatile super-adsorption capacities for the removal of tricky organic pollutants from wastewater under ultra-low pressure-driving (0.1 bar). After adsorption saturating, the AMNs in 3D-GCM actuates the advanced oxidization process to self-clean the fouled membrane via the catalysis, and restores the adsorption capacity well for the next time membrane separation. Most importantly, the 3D-GCM with the welding of laser scribing overcomes the lateral shear force damaging during the long-term separation. Moreover, the 3D-GCM could emit plentiful of hot electrons from AMNs under light irradiation, realizing the membrane catalytic hydrolysis reactions for hydrogen energy generation. This "green" precision manufacturing with laser scribing technology provides a feasible technology to fabricate high-efficient and robust 3D-GCM microreactor in the tricky wastewater purification and sustainable clean energy production as well.

Effects of therapeutic hypothermia on the safety of children with severe traumatic brain injury: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Therapeutic hypothermia (TH) is effective to treat adult traumatic brain injury (TBI), but there is still controversy about its safety to treat the children with severe TBI. Methods: Clinical studies on TH in children with severe TBI from January 2000 to September 2020 were screened in PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library, Nature, NCKI, and Wanfang online databases. Data were meta-analyzed by Rev Man 5.3. Differences in mortality, adverse outcomes, duration of Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), incidence of infection, and incidence of arrhythmia were compared between experimental group and control group. The heterogeneity of the results was evaluated by chi-square test and I2 test in Rev Man 5.3, and publication bias was evaluated by funnel plot. Results: Five articles were included, including 421 children. Cochrane evaluation was B grade or above, and Jadad scale score was over three points. The overall mortality between two groups showed great difference [odds ratio (OR) =1.72, 95% CI: 0.98-3.02, Z=1.87, P=0.04]. The incidence of adverse outcomes (OR =1.39, 95% CI: 0.86-2.25, Z=1.34, P=0.18), the duration of PICU [mean difference (MD) =0.51, 95% CI: -0.33 to 1.35, Z=1.19, P=0.24], the incidence of infection (OR =0.79, 95% CI: 0.51-1.23, Z=1.03, P=0.30), and the incidence of arrhythmia (OR =3.10, 95% CI: 0.77-12.50, Z=1.59, P=0.11) were not considerably different. Discussion: TH significantly reduced overall mortality in children with severe TBI, but did not significantly improve the incidence of adverse outcomes, PICU duration, infection rate, or arrhythmia. These results provided a reference for selecting proper clinical treatment methods for children with severe TBI.

Polyphasic Identification and Genomic Insights of Leptothermofonsia sichuanensis gen. sp. nov., a Novel Thermophilic Cyanobacteria Within Leptolyngbyaceae.

Thermal environments are an important reservoir of thermophiles with significant ecological and biotechnological potentials. However, thermophilic isolates remain largely unrecovered from their habitats and are rarely systematically identified. In this study, we characterized using polyphasic approaches a thermophilic strain, PKUAC-SCTAE412 (E412 hereafter), recovered from Lotus Lake hot spring based in Ganzi prefecture, China. The results of 16S rRNA/16S-23S ITS phylogenies, secondary structure, and morphology comparison strongly supported that strain E412 represent a novel genus within Leptolyngbyaceae. This delineation was further confirmed by genome-based analyses [phylogenomic inference, average nucleotide/amino-acid identity, and the percentages of conserved proteins (POCP)]. Based on the botanical code, the isolate is herein delineated as Leptothermofonsia sichuanensis gen. sp. nov, a genus adjacent to recently delineated Kovacikia and Stenomitos. In addition, we successfully obtained the first complete genome of this new genus. Genomic analysis revealed its adaptations to the adverse hot spring environment and extensive molecular components related to mobile genetic elements, photosynthesis, and nitrogen metabolism. Moreover, the strain was capable of modifying the composition of its light-harvesting apparatus depending on the wavelength and photoperiod, showing chromatic adaptation capacity characteristic for T1 and T2 pigmentation types. Other physiological studies showed the strain's ability to utilize sodium bicarbonate and various sulfur compounds. The strain was also shown to be diazotrophic. Interestingly, 24.6% of annotated protein-coding genes in the E412 genome were identified as putatively acquired, hypothesizing that a large number of genes acquired through HGT might contribute to the genome expansion and habitat adaptation of those thermophilic strains. Most the HGT candidates (69.4%) were categorized as metabolic functions as suggested by the KEGG analysis. Overall, the complete genome of strain E412 provides the first insight into the genomic feature of the genus Leptothermofonsia and lays the foundation for future global ecogenomic and geogenomic studies.

A systematic review and meta-analysis on the curative effects of cardiothoracic surgery for critical patients in the intensive care unit.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to explore the curative effects of cardiothoracic surgery (CTS) for critical patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) using meta-analysis. METHODS: Literature was searched using the following search terms: "cardiothoracic surgery", "intensive care unit", "critical patients", "post-operation", and "curative effects". Rev Man 5.3 was used for meta-analysis. RESULTS: A total of 15 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included, all of which had a low risk of bias, indicating medium and high quality. At 30 days after CTS, the number of patients with grade III and IV cardiac function was reduced by 76.84%, and the overall heterogeneity test results revealed that Tau2=0.09, Chi2=17.08, df=5, I2=71%, P=0.004<0.01, Z=7.62, RR =0.33, and 95% CI: 0.24 to 0.43. The incidence of adverse reactions was analyzed in 6 RCTs, and mainly manifested as improper anticoagulation thrombosis and bleeding. The overall heterogeneity test results revealed that Chi2=1.07, df=5, I2=0%, P=0.96, Z=4.93, OR =0.46, 95% CI: 0.34 to 0.63, and P<0.01. The 30-day mortality rate was analyzed in 8 RCTs. The overall analysis using the fixed effects model revealed that there was a notable difference between the experimental group and the baseline, with Z=10.11, OR =0.12, 95% CI: 0.08 to 0.18, and P<0.01. DISCUSSION: CTS can reduce the incidence of adverse events and the mortality rate of critical patients in the ICU, demonstrating high safety.

Description, Taxonomy, and Comparative Genomics of a Novel species, Thermoleptolyngbya sichuanensis sp. nov., Isolated From Hot Springs of Ganzi, Sichuan, China.

Thermoleptolyngbya is a newly proposed genus of thermophilic cyanobacteria that are often abundant in thermal environments. However, a vast majority of Thermoleptolyngbya strains were not systematically identified, and genomic features of this genus are also sparse. Here, polyphasic approaches were employed to identify a thermophilic strain, PKUAC-SCTA183 (A183 hereafter), isolated from hot spring Erdaoqiao, Ganzi prefecture, China. Whole-genome sequencing of the strain revealed its allocation to Thermoleptolyngbya sp. and genetic adaptations to the hot spring environment. While the results of 16S rRNA were deemed inconclusive, the more comprehensive polyphasic approach encompassing phenetic, chemotaxic, and genomic approaches strongly suggest that a new taxon, Thermoleptolyngbya sichuanensis sp. nov., should be delineated around the A183 strain. The genome-scale phylogeny and average nucleotide/amino-acid identity confirmed the genetic divergence of the A183 strain from other strains of Thermoleptolyngbya along with traditional methods such as 16S-23S ITS and its secondary structure analyses. Comparative genomic and phylogenomic analyses revealed inconsistent genome structures between Thermoleptolyngbya A183 and O-77 strains. Further gene ontology analysis showed that the unique genes of the two strains were distributed in a wide range of functional categories. In addition, analysis of genes related to thermotolerance, signal transduction, and carbon/nitrogen/sulfur assimilation revealed the ability of this strain to adapt to inhospitable niches in hot springs, and these findings were preliminarily confirmed using experimental, cultivation-based approaches.

Ultra-High Performance Amorphous Ga2 O3 Photodetector Arrays for Solar-Blind Imaging.

The growing demand for scalable solar-blind image sensors with remarkable photosensitive properties has stimulated the research on more advanced solar-blind photodetector (SBPD) arrays. In this work, the authors demonstrate ultrahigh-performance metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) SBPDs based on amorphous (a-) Ga2 O3 via a post-annealing process. The post-annealed MSM a-Ga2 O3 SBPDs exhibit superhigh sensitivity of 733 A/W and high response speed of 18 ms, giving a high gain-bandwidth product over 104 at 5 V. The SBPDs also show ultrahigh photo-to-dark current ratio of 3.9 × 107 . Additionally, the PDs demonstrate super-high specific detectivity of 3.9 × 1016 Jones owing to the extremely low noise down to 3.5 fW Hz-1/2 , suggesting high signal-to-noise ratio. Underlying mechanism for such superior photoelectric properties is revealed by Kelvin probe force microscopy and first principles calculation. Furthermore, for the first time, a large-scale, high-uniformity 32 × 32 image sensor array based on the post-annealed a-Ga2 O3 SBPDs is fabricated. Clear image of target object with high contrast can be obtained thanks to the high sensitivity and uniformity of the array. These results demonstrate the feasibility and practicality of the Ga2 O3 PDs for applications in solar-blind imaging, environmental monitoring, artificial intelligence and machine vision.

Circ_0072088 promotes progression of hepatocellular carcinoma by activating JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway via miR-375.

Circular RNAs feature prominently in cancer development. Nonetheless, the role of circ_0072088 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unclear. GEO databases (GSE97332, GSE108724, GSE36915, and GSE33006) were used to screen out the differentially expressed circRNAs, miRNAs, and mRNA in HCC. The expressions of circ_0072088, miR-375, and Janus Kinase 2 (JAK2) mRNA in HCC tissue and cell lines were determined with quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. RNase R treatment assay was used to measure the stability of circ_0072088, and subcellular fraction assay was used to detect the localization of circ_0072088. Cell counting kit-8 assay, flow cytometry, and Transwell assay were used to measure proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion of HCC cells. RNA immunoprecipitation and dual-luciferase reporter gene assay were employed for investigating the binding sequence between circ_0072088 and miR-375, as well as miR-375 and JAK2 3'UTR. Western blot assay was used to detect the expression of JAK2 and p-STAT3 after circ_0072088 and miR-375 were selectively regulated. Circ_0072088 and JAK2 mRNA expressions were highly expressed in HCC tissues and cell lines while miR-375 expression was remarkably downregulated. Circ_0072088 was resistant to RNase R treatment and mainly located in the cytoplasm of HCC cells. The transfection of circ_0072088 overexpression plasmid or miR-375 inhibitors promoted the proliferation, migration, and invasion, and inhibited the apoptosis of HCC cells, whereas transfection of circ_0072088 siRNA or miR-375 mimics exerted opposite effects. Besides, miR-375 was confirmed as a target of circ_0072088 and miR-375 could further downregulate the expression of JAK2. MiR-375 mimics could reverse the upregulation of JAK2 and p-STAT3 protein induced by circ_0072088 overexpression. Circ_0072088 can enhance the proliferation, migration, and invasion, and impede apoptosis of HCC cells. Mechanistically, circ_0072088 activates JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway by serving as a molecular sponge of miR-375.

Neuroprotective Effect of Brimonidine against Facial Nerve Crush Injury in Rats via Suppressing GFAP/PAF Activation and Neuroinflammation.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the potential neuroprotective action of brimonidine against facial nerve crush injury in rats and the possible underlying mechanisms. METHODS: Sixty Wistar adult rats were randomly and equally divided into 3 groups: 40 rats underwent unilateral facial nerve crush injury and were administered with either saline (intraperitoneal, n = 20) or brimonidine 1 mg/kg/day (intraperitoneal, n = 20) for 5 consecutive days. Functional and electromyographic recovery was recorded postoperatively. The facial nucleus of 5 mice in each group was analyzed for mRNA expression levels of GFAP, PAF, NT-4, P75NTR, NF-κB, TNF-α, IL-6, and α2-ARs by qRT-PCR. RESULTS: Brimonidine promoted the recovery of vibrissae movement, eyelid closure, and electrophysiological function in a rat model of nerve crush injury. Hematoxylin and eosin staining and electron microscopy showed significant recovery of Schwann cells and axons in the brimonidine group. Brimonidine attenuated the crush-induced upregulation in GFAP and PAF mRNA (p < 0.05), as well as enhanced the mRNA levels of NT-4 and P75NTR (p < 0.05), while decreased the expression of NF-κB, TNF-α and IL-6 (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Brimonidine could promote the recovery of facial nerve crush injury in rats via suppressing of GFAP/PAF activation and neuroinflammation and increasing neurotrophic factors. Brimonidine may be apromising candidate agent for the treatment of facial nerve injury.

Pt5Se4 Monolayer: A Highly Efficient Electrocatalyst toward Hydrogen and Oxygen Electrode Reactions.

Electrocatalysts with high activities toward multiple electrode reactions are scarce and therefore highly sought. Here, we investigate the electrocatalytic performance of the two-dimensional (2D) Pt5Se4 monolayer toward hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), oxygen evolution reaction (OER), and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Our density functional theory calculations show that the Pt5Se4 monolayer can serve as a low-Pt-loading trifunctional electrocatalyst with good kinetic and thermal stabilities. Specifically, the HER performance of the Pt5Se4 basal plane is predicted to be superior to that of 2D layered Pd or Pt dichalcogenides. Even considering the solvent effect, the catalytic OER performance of the Pt5Se4 monolayer is predicted to be comparable to the prevalent OER catalyst-IrO2, while the catalytic ORR performance of the Pt5Se4 monolayer is even higher than the predominating Pt(111) surface. Overall, the Pt5Se4 monolayer can be a promising trifunctional catalyst that exhibits high activities toward all hydrogen and oxygen electrode reactions.

Circ_0001175 Promotes Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cell Proliferation and Metastasis by Regulating miR-130a-5p.

OBJECTIVE: Many aberrantly expressed circular RNAs (circRNAs) play important roles in the development and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the exact function of circ_0001175 in HCC cells is unknown. Our study aimed to investigate the expression characteristics of circ_0001175 in HCC and its effects on the proliferation, migration and invasion of HCC cells, and to explore the potential mechanism. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blot were carried out to detect circ_0001175, microRNA-130a-5p (miR-130a-5p) and sorting nexin 5 (SNX5) expressions in HCC tissues and cells; cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), BrdU and Transwell assays were conducted to detect the proliferation, migration and invasion of HCC cells. A lung metastasis model in nude mice was used to examine the effect of circ_0001175 on the metastasis of HCC cells in vivo. Bioinformatics prediction, luciferase reporter gene experiment, Ago2-RIP experiment and RNA pull-down assay were adopted to identify the binding relationships among circ_0001175, miR-130a-5p and SNX5. RESULTS: Circ_0001175 and SNX5 expressions were up-regulated in HCC tissues and cell lines, while miR-130a-5p expression was down-regulated. Abnormal expressions of circ_0001175, miR-130a-5p and SNX5 were associated with poor clinicopathological features of HCC patients; circ_0001175 facilitated HCC cell proliferation, migration and invasion in vitro and promoted lung metastasis in vivo; miR-130a-5p inhibited the above malignant biological behaviors of HCC cells, and it could reverse the function of circ_0001175. SNX5 was identified as a target gene of miR-130a-5p, and circ_0001175 could sponge miR-130a-5p and up-regulate the expression of SNX5 in HCC cells. CONCLUSION: Circ_0001175 is highly expressed in HCC and facilitates HCC progression through regulating miR-130a-5p/SNX5 axis.

Platelet-rich plasma can release nutrient factors to promote facial nerve crush injury recovery in rats.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effects of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) on promoting neural repair after facial nerve compression in rats and the mechanism by which this occurs.  Methods: Adult Wistar rats (n=100) were divided into 3 groups: healthy controls, surgery-only, and surgery+PRP groups. The rats underwent nerve crush injury to establish a facial palsy model. The blood from the rats was used to prepare the PRP for application to the injury site. The evaluation methods included vibrissae movement, eyelid closure, and electrophysiology. Electron microscopy, immunohistochemistry, and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were used to detect nutrient factor expression in the brain and nerve sections. This study was conducted in Shandong Provincial ENT Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University,  Shandong, China between January and November 2018.  Results: Platelet-rich plasma promotes the recovery of vibrissae movement, eyelid closure, and electrophysiological function in a rat model of nerve crush injury. Hematoxylin and eosin staining, toluidine blue staining, and electron microscopy showed significant recovery of Schwann cells and axons in the PRP group. Polymerase chain reaction results showed that PRP releases growth factors, which include nerve growth factor and brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Immunohistochemistry also demonstrated higher levels of S-100 protein expression in the PRP group compared to the other groups.  Conclusions: Platelet-rich plasma releases nutrient factors in the brainstem, and the use of PRP can promote injury recovery.

CCL26 and CCR3 are associated with the acute inflammatory response in the CNS in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.

Chemokine ligand 26 (CCL26) is a member of the eotaxin family. It works by interacting exclusively with chemokine receptor 3 (CCR3) and acts as an eosinophil-selective chemoattractant. There is an emerging role for eotaxins in autoimmune diseases. Studies have reported that chemokine ligand 11 (CCL11) and CCL26 are upregulated in patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) during remission, CCL26 levels appear to be decreased in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), whereas CCL26 levels are significantly increased in secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS), indicating that CCL26 participates in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS). We investigated the levels of CCL26, CCR3 and claudin-5 (a marker of changes in BBB (blood-brain barrier) permeability) at different stages of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) to explore the underlying immune mechanisms of EAE. Our results showed that the levels of CCL26 and CCR3 in EAE rats were significantly increased compared with those in the control group. The levels of CCL26 in the serum and in brain tissues as well as the protein expression of CCR3 in brain tissues were positively correlated with the inflammatory scores of brain tissues from EAE rats and were negatively correlated with the protein expression of claudin-5. We concluded that CCL26, which in turn binds to the receptor CCR3, showed pro-inflammatory effects and aggravated tissue damage involving BBB impairment, especially in the acute stage of EAE. Our study uncovers another possible immunopathological mechanism of MS and provides a possible target for immune therapy.

KTlO: a metal shrouded 2D semiconductor with high carrier mobility and tunable magnetism.

Two-dimensional materials with high carrier mobility and tunable magnetism are in high demand for nanoelectronic and spintronic applications. Herein, we predict a novel two-dimensional monolayer KTlO that possesses an indirect band gap of 2.25 eV (based on HSE06 calculations) and high carrier mobility (450 cm2 V-1 s-1 for electrons and 160 cm2 V-1 s-1 for holes) by means of ab initio calculations. The electron mobility can be increased up to 26 280 cm2 V-1 s-1 and 54 150 cm2 V-1 s-1 for bilayer and trilayer KTlO, respectively. The KTlO monolayer has a calculated cleavage energy of 0.56 J m-2, which suggests exfoliation of the bulk material as a viable means for the preparation of mono- and few-layer materials. Remarkably, the KTlO monolayer demonstrates tunable magnetism and half-metallicity with hole doping, which are attributed to the novel Mexican-hat-like bands and van Hove singularities in its electronic structure. Furthermore, monolayer KTlO exhibits moderate optical absorption over the visible light and ultraviolet regions. The band gap value and band characteristics of monolayer KTlO can be substantially manipulated by biaxial and uniaxial strains to meet the requirement of various applications. All these novel properties make monolayer KTlO a promising functional material for future nanoelectronic and spintronic applications.

Temperature-controlled thermophilic bacterial communities in hot springs of western Sichuan, China.

BACKGROUND: Ganzi Prefecture in Western China is situated geographically at the transition regions between Tibetan Plateau and Sichuan Basin in a highly tectonically active boundary area between the India and Eurasia plates. The region hosts various hot springs that span a wide range of temperature from 30 to 98 °C and are located at high altitude (up to 4200 m above sea level) in the region of large geothermal anomalies and active Xianshuihe slip-fault that has been active since Holocene. The site represents a biodiversity reservoir for thermophiles, yet their diversity and relationship to geochemical parameters are largely unknown. In the present work, bacterial diversity and community structure in 14 hot springs of Ganzi were investigated using Illumina MiSeq sequencing. RESULTS: Bacterial community compositions were evidently distinct among the 14 hot springs, and the bacterial communities in hot springs were majorly abundant in phyla Aquificae, Cyanobacteria and Proteobacteria. Both clustering and PCoA analysis suggested the existence of four bacterial community patterns in these hot springs. Temperature contributed to shaping bacterial community structure of hot springs as revealed by correlation analysis. Abundant unassigned-genus sequences detected in this study strongly implied the presence of novel genera or genetic resources in these hot springs. CONCLUSION: The diversity of hot springs of Ganzi prefecture in Western Sichuan, China is evidently shaped by temperature. Interestingly disproportionally abundant unassigned-genus sequences detected in this study show indicate potential of novel genera or phylotypes. We hypothesize that frequent earthquakes and rapidly changing environment might have contributed to evolution of these potentially new lineages. Overall, this study provided first insight into the bacterial diversity of hot springs located in Western Sichuan, China and its comparison with other similar communities worldwide.

HACE1 reduces oxidative stress and mutant Huntingtin toxicity by promoting the NRF2 response.

Oxidative stress plays a key role in late onset diseases including cancer and neurodegenerative diseases such as Huntington disease. Therefore, uncovering regulators of the antioxidant stress responses is important for understanding the course of these diseases. Indeed, the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2), a master regulator of the cellular antioxidative stress response, is deregulated in both cancer and neurodegeneration. Similar to NRF2, the tumor suppressor Homologous to the E6-AP Carboxyl Terminus (HECT) domain and Ankyrin repeat containing E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase 1 (HACE1) plays a protective role against stress-induced tumorigenesis in mice, but its roles in the antioxidative stress response or its involvement in neurodegeneration have not been investigated. To this end we examined Hace1 WT and KO mice and found that Hace1 KO animals exhibited increased oxidative stress in brain and that the antioxidative stress response was impaired. Moreover, HACE1 was found to be essential for optimal NRF2 activation in cells challenged with oxidative stress, as HACE1 depletion resulted in reduced NRF2 activity, stability, and protein synthesis, leading to lower tolerance against oxidative stress triggers. Strikingly, we found a reduction of HACE1 levels in the striatum of Huntington disease patients, implicating HACE1 in the pathology of Huntington disease. Moreover, ectopic expression of HACE1 in striatal neuronal progenitor cells provided protection against mutant Huntingtin-induced redox imbalance and hypersensitivity to oxidative stress, by augmenting NRF2 functions. These findings reveal that the tumor suppressor HACE1 plays a role in the NRF2 antioxidative stress response pathway and in neurodegeneration.